Restaurant quality dish in under 20 minutes? Yes, please! This blue grenadier baked in lemony buttery sauce ticks all the boxes. Quick, delicious, nutritious, family and budget-friendly. Did I forget anything? Oh, minimum cleaning up! It is a win-win!
I am not quite sure why but Blue Grenadier is a little overlooked in Australia. At only half the price of the other fish varieties, Blue Grenadier is a hidden gem.
To start with I thought it is imported from Asia and that is why it is so well priced, but no! Blue grenadier is wild-caught in Australia and New Zealand. It is also known as Cod or Haki.
This flaky white fish is naturally rich in protein and Omega-3 Fatty Acids. In case you haven't heard about fatty acids yet, these are essential fats—that our body can't make from scratch and must get from food. I won't even start writing about HOW important these are for our bodies because it will take me hours and hours. Let's just say, we could not function properly without Omega-3 Fatty Acids.
Jump to:
What does blue grenadier taste like
Once I found out that Blue Grenadier is wild-caught it became my go-to fish. It has a delicate and sweet flavour with moist flesh that flakes easily. It cooks very quickly and my family absolutely loves it. And in my opinion, an oven is the easiest way to prepare this fish.
Why make it
- Gluten-free recipe
- Kid-friendly
- Budget-friendly
- Rich in protein and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Low carb
- Easy to prepare
- Simply delicious recipe
Ingredients
Only a handful of ingredients are needed to make this delicious fish dinner.
- Flaky white fish. Blue grenadier is great, but you can use any other white fish variety such as snapper, halibut, or flounder. For my US readers, tilapia fillets might be a great option. We don't have it here in Australia.
- Lemons. We need zest and fresh lemon juice.
- Butter. Choose organic or grass-fed if possible.
- Garlic. Lots of flavour plus lots of health benefits.
- Sea salt and black pepper.
The full list of ingredients is listed in the recipe card below.
How to make it
This is a very easy recipe and great for a quick midweek dinner. Even a beginner cook can easily manage.
- Start by preheating your oven to 200'C (400F).
- Peel and mince the garlic. Zest and juice your lemon.
- Line a large baking dish or oven tray with some parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small saucepan melt butter over low heat. Once the butter has melted, take it off the heat.
- Add lemon zest, juice and minced garlic into the pan with melted butter.
- Put the fish fillets onto the baking tray and season with salt and pepper.
- Now using a tablespoon or a pastry brush spread the lemon butter mix over the fish fillets so that the entire fish is well coated.
- Transfer the fish to the pre-heated oven and bake it for 10-12 minutes. Baking time might vary a little depending on your oven. You will know the fish is cooked when it flakes easily when you press on it with a finger or a fork at the thickest part of the fillet.
- Serve with some fresh parsley and lemon wedges
Perfect sides for baked fish
Baked fish is very easy to pair. Just cooked white potatoes with some butter and fresh garden salad will make you a restaurant-looking dish. Mashed potatoes are great too. Put some fries in an oven to make fish and chips. Steamed basmati rice is one of my favourites. Have a little bit more time?
Try one of these delicious recipes:
Substitutes and variations
- If you don't like the taste of butter, you can use olive oil instead.
- Can't find any blue grenadier at the fish counter? Ask for cod, it is another name for the blue grenadier. Otherwise, use any other white flaky fish.
- If you can't tolerate garlic or just simply don't like it, you can still prepare this dish. Butter and lemon have a lot of flavours on their own and your fish will still taste amazing.
How to store
- Have some dinner leftovers? You can refrigerate cooked fish in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
- I found this fish doesn't freeze well. It becomes watery after defrosting.
Frequently asked questions
Any raw fish or seafood should only be kept in the fridge for one or two days before cooking. If you are not sure when you are going to cook the fish, simply freeze it.
As mentioned above you can press on the thickest part of the fish with a fork and see if the fish flakes easily. Or use an instant-read thermometer. The fish is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 145' Fahrenheit (65'C).
More delicious fish and seafood recipes to try:
EASY BAKED SALMON RECIPE WITH CREAMY SAUCE
GLUTEN-FREE SHRIMP APPETIZER RECIPE - MEXICAN STYLE
Baked Lemon Butter Blue Grenadier
Ingredients
- 2 large fillets of Blue Grenadier
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons organic butter or use 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- zest of one organic or unwaxed lemon
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C
- Line some parchment paper onto a baking tray or large dish.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan. Don't overheat it.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest and minced garlic to the melted butter, mix to combine.
- Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper and put them on the prepared tray or baking dish. (Leave pepper out for any pieces you will be giving to your small kids, they usually don't like it)
- Spread butter-lemon mix over the fish, using a tablespoon or a pastry brush.
- Bake fish for approximately 10 to 12 minutes. The fish will flake easily when cooked.Â
- Serve with some fresh parsley and lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You can serve Baked Lemon Butter Grenadier with your favourite vegetables or salads.
- Green beans or quickly steamed broccoli is a good fit.
- You can also bake some store-bought frozen potato chips for your kids to make it "real" Fish and Chips. It still will be so much healthier than the takeaway variety.
Samantha
Just wanted to say that this recipe really works. The fish turned out amazingly tender and juicy. I couldn't find grenadier and used flat head instead.
Elena Elliott
Thank you for your comment, Samantha! So happy to hear the recipe worked for you! 😊
Gen
What a delicious, simple recipe! I’ll be making this again.
Cam
This tasted delicious and the fam loved it so much!
Kim
This was so tender and delicious! I served it to friends s as if it paired perfectly with wine too!
Paula
So much flavor - my fam loved this
Gloria
This fish looks cooked to perfection. I have never heard of Blue Grenadier before. I will have to see if I can find some at the grocery store.
Journa Liz Ramirez
I tried this at home and it was so good! It's easy to prepare and so delicious! Thanks, for sharing this recipe. We enjoyed it so much.
Lisa
I was looking for a way to cook up some fresh fish fillets. This recipe worked out well. It was super tasty and so easy.
Sharina
This is a hit! My family loves this baked lemon butter blue grenadier. It is so quick to make and so tasty. Highly recommended!
Elena Elliott
Thanks, Sharina!
Cami
This tasted to good! So easy to make
Anna
Great recipe! I was afraid the garlic would burn but it didn't 🙂 200f no fan. Thank you for this simple and bullet-proof recipe!Hard save 😉
Elena Elliott
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Anna! Thank you for the lovely comment!